
The Ripple, The Wave That Carried Me Home
All I can say about this play is WOW! The feel and emotions within this play were superb, and the transition from narration to narrative was sensational from beginning to end. Christiana Clark (Janice) masterfully recounted the stories of her father, mother, and her own life growing up in 1965 Kansas. Clark engaged us throughout the 1 hour and 45 minutes production, hypnotizing us with her joy, sadness, and painful moments. And the brilliant cast featuring Briana Buckley, Ronald L. Conner, and Aneisa Hicks was faultless, and their chemistry on stage was electrifying.

Cabaret
As hope fades and the terrifying look at totalitarianism rears its ugly head, we witness the lingering effects from the once bubbly Emcee, whose Cabaret has disappeared into the darkness of hatred, and the song, Tomorrow Belongs To Me, changing its meaning forever.

The Golden Gals
Directed by Ginger Minj, who also plays the role of Blanche, Fruit Wine Productions, "The Golden Gals Live!" pays tribute to these four sassy seniors in a witty and comical theatrical performance.

Let's Play 2022 Awards
Check out our 2022 top theatrical plays we saw throughout Chicagoland and see the ones we felt deserved the LP 2022 award.

The Island
The Island was a painful reminder of the abuse blacks endured during Apartheid and how the power of theater can liberate and provoke change.

The Lion King
Returning to Chicago for the fifth time and one of Broadway's longest-running shows in history, The Lion King, has arrived at the Cadillac Palace Theatre — and this theatrical masterpiece is still a thriller.

Elf, The Musical
Elf is a magical journey where believing conquers doubt and how the unconditional love of an elf can change the world, one soul at a time.

Beehive - Milwaukee Rep
All the ladies had lovely voices, and their harmony when singing "Abraham, Martin and John" were amazing — and the audience seemed to enjoy themselves…
Trouble In Mind
Alice Childress's riveting and thought-provoking, Trouble In Mind will have you questioning the soul of your integrity. It compels the audience to ask whether we can see the racism within us —and how we, humanity, can eradicate it.

Blue Heaven
What happens when you put a minister's daughter, a kid that liked to play in the mud, two men with an abusive childhood, and a former cotton gin worker together? You get a glimpse of Blue Heaven

Rent
Giacomo Puccini's Rent, based loosely on his 1896 opera La Boheme, which tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists struggling to survive, is as relevant today — and Porchlight's performance of Rent is a powerful, tear-jerker. With exquisite vocals and a talented cast, this rock musical is stirringly provocative.

Clue
Made into a movie in 1985 and written as a musical in 1993 by Peter DePietor — Mercury Theater's Clue (based on the film), adapted from the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn and written by Sandy Rustin, is both suspenseful and hilarious.

Swing State
Swing State is a refreshing look at the human condition and explores how humanity deals with the realism of traumatic loss and how we examine and comprehend grief. Playwright Rebecca Gilman's touching story will hit home with anyone who has lived long enough to experience pain and the feeling of loss we can never regain.

Children of Eden
The music, songs, and singing this night were fantastic. The cast features the incredible Michelle Williams, the phenomenal voice of David Phelps and Randel Keith, with great singing from Sam Tsui and Koryn Hawthorne. I also enjoyed hearing the cast of singers that sang within the auditorium's outer aisle and when the entire cast sang "In The Beginning" at the play's climax.

Tiger Style
Mike Lew takes a comedic look into the dual struggles of blending into a society where Chinese Americans deal with stereotypes, expectations, and perceptions. Tiger parenting is a strategy some Chinese use to help their children be more accepted by American society.

The Notebook
Suppose you have lived long enough, as I have. In that case, you remember some of the great love stories of Casablanca, Gone With The Wind, Roman Holiday, An Affair To Remember, and Titanic — however, only a few love stories will touch you forever, and The Notebook is one of those stories.

Wicked
Those attending Wicked were given buttons and asked to write down the number of times they'd seen the play. And no matter how often you've seen Wicked, the enthralling storyline and cinematic production of Chicago's Most Popular Musical will mesmerize you.

Titanic - The Musical: Milwaukee Rep Theater
Directed by Mark Clements, Milwaukee Rep Theater, Titanic, The Musical runs two hours and 25 minutes. The thirty-eight-member cast performing close to thirty musical songs was outstanding. And although the intense dramatic emotion of life being lost and the suspense from Cameron's film production isn't visible in the musical, the highlights were the solid acting, outstanding broadway-like singing, and the exceptional orchestration by Joshua Clayton.

Cabaret ZaZou - Luminaire
Luminaire combines the thrill and excitement of Cirque du Soleil and the improv of a comedy club with an elegant nightclub-style atmosphere. However, the night's euphoria is when they bring a random guest into the stage for a hilarious improvisation.

Clyde’s
Clyde's brilliantly brings the forgotten to life while showcasing their fragile existence as they strive to regain their purpose within society. Lynn Nottage is a master of opening our hearts and manipulating the audience to look into the mirror of our souls as we witness each character and remove the veil of judgment so we can see their human factor and ourselves. By doing this, we can relate to their struggles and their pain as they pursue to rejoin society — a society that would prefer they stay in prison and forgotten.